A White Rose (old, rewrite up)
by CrazyPerson1
Summary: Roses are beautiful flowers. Each one symbolizes something; red roses symbolism true, passionate love. A black rose means death. But the white rose symbolizes purity, innocence, naivety; all of the traits we consider childish. But little do we know about the significance they held for Ash Ketchum and his little sister, Laelynn.
1. Chapter 1

Pallet Town was a small quiet place. Farm fields sprawled across the plain, an azure sea stretched as far as the eye can see... A warm breeze flowed through the forest, whispering news to its curious inhabitants… It was a beautiful place. However, there was a side that the 'friendly' place concealed behind a beautiful pallet.

This is a story that most of the townspeople would rather forget. It isn't a pretty story, but neither is the world. This is story of the Ketchums.

* * *

It was a cold October night. Normally, the 7 years old girl loves autumn nights; the fine crisp that hangs in the air, the silence, during which you can hear the grass rustle… However, these predicaments cannot be considered normal. Laelynn Ketchum coughed lightly. This was the fourth month they'd been on the street.

One day, some strange man told them that their parents were dead in a car accident. Neither her, nor her brother believed it at first. But then, Professor Oak confirmed it. And they both knew that the Professor would never lie. So, they were sent to some building called an 'orphanage'. However, they were kicked out of it a few months ago, landing the siblings on the street. They ate whatever the nice lady across the street gave them. Laelynn closed her eyes. Grief flooded her, as exhaustion and hunger caught up with her. She wanted her mommy back. That wasn't fair! Mommy promised to take them to the forest, she really did. Why did they have to disappear like that?

Next to her, Ash Ketchum signed. His sister looked like she was ready to cry again. Ash still didn't believe that their parents died, as time passed, they didn't return. Then, as his sister started losing hope that their parents were still alive, she started to fall into a depression. She wouldn't eat for months; she simply sat, staring at the window with an empty look. That's when they found **them;** the Pichu and Cleffa.

Ash found them at an alley behind the orphanage before they were booted out. The little ones were heavily beaten up and their skin almost hanged on their bones. So, they immediately brought the pair to Miss Bienfaisant, a kind old lady who lives across the street. As soon as she saw the state in which the poor Pokemon were, she immediately spent half of her savings to get them the medicines. With that, and the training that Leaf's mother gave them during her occasional visits, they were able to get the Pokemon back in shape in no time.

Now, the two little Pokemon lay next to them, sleeping soundly. Ash signed again, looking at the mischievous little Pichu. Well, mischievous when he had the energy; the little mouse barely got anything to eat, just like the rest of them. The boy frowned lightly; the little mouse reminded him of himself, before this nightmare has begun. Back, when their parents were still there, ready to give them a bit of time. He signed. Their parents told them of the great lands that lay beyond the horizons; the great wonders and the beauty of nature, the marvels of mankind… He dreamt of visiting those lands; he dreamt of the people, the Pokemon; he dreamt of becoming the very best, becoming a Pokemon Master… Ash closed his eyes. Sometimes, he envied the Flying types; they were the children of the skies, bound not by the ground, but the great winds. Unlike them, pitiful humans, ground bound not just by gravity, but also by responsibilities, the money, the public opinion… Sometimes, just sometimes, Ash would think, about how life would have been had his parents not left them; would they still be a happy family, or would poverty cause a rift between them? Sometimes, he dared dream, if he was not bound by anything, and he would pursue his dreams and ideals like a winged Pegasus… But, then he looked at his slumbering sister. He couldn't help but smile, banishing the thoughts from his head with a shake.

He had to be strong for his sister. He couldn't afford to crack down, not now. However, the sensation of someone touching him snapped Ash out of his thoughts; turning his head, he saw his little sister snuggle up to him, keeping herself close to his warmth. Ash smiled softly, running his hands through her hair; this was his precious little sister, and he promised that he would always be there for her.

Thunder struck, as a downpour started, furiously pounding the piece of wood they used for a roof. But the siblings merely moved closer, using each other for warmth and moral support. They would make it if they were together. Probably.

 _Probably._

* * *

As morning came, the rainclouds began to part, as the drumming of the downpour eventually became a light patting sound. Sunlight descended upon the town. Ash blinked in annoyance. He sometimes wished that he could just fall asleep forever. No, he had to be strong for his sister. So, carefully standing up and making sure Laelynn wouldn't wake up, Ash tiptoed to the crate behind them. Their supplies were quickly dwindling; they would have to cut down on their meals if they wanted to make it through the next month.

After all, Miss Bienfaisant was a poor woman; she had already burned through most of her money, trying to get them some food. So, after making some quick calculations, Ash grabbed some bread and cheese and set them on a plate, before boiling an egg. But that alone wouldn't do. So the rave haired boy grabbed a rusty looking pan and poured water in, boiling it. Glancing to the side, he saw that Pichu began to stir awake. So Ash grabbed a handful of spinach- the cheapest vegetable Miss Bienfaisant could get them, and cooked them through. The boy signed. He couldn't remember the last time he had had a decent meal. His stomach gurgled, almost agreeing with him.

But, with both Pokemon awake, Ash grabbed a half empty can of Pokechow and set them down for the Pokemon. Upon smelling food, both Pichu and Cleffa rushed to the can, devouring the food. Ash shook his head; they'd told the Pokemon to leave, since the siblings couldn't feed them; however, the stubborn Pokemon refused to leave. While it was touching, Ash was now growing increasingly worried about their health. Their skin hung like a piece of cloth, concealing their bones. Ash looked at the sun. Yep, at that angle, it meant that it was approximately 7:30 am. While he wanted to let Laelynn sleep in a little, they had an appointment with the doctor.

Problem was, his dear little sister started coughing a lot the last few weeks. She even had regular fevers a few months ago, though that seems to have passed. But she still had occasional nasty bouts of coughing. Ash closed his eyes for a moment. She was all he had left in the world; he didn't know what he would do without her. Laelynn coughed in her sleep, instinctively moving closer to Ash. Then Ash smiled softly. Their mother said that as long as you were kind to others and behaved well, everything would end well for them. There was no reason to worry, none at all.

* * *

"Well, young man, it seems that your sister is fine, aside from malnutrition. She just needs to get eat properly and get warm." Ash felt hope soar in his chest, happiness threatened to overwhelm him. "However, if things continue as they are, she might not make it past winter." There, Ash's heart sank. Ever since their parents died, there were strange rumors surrounding the Ketchum kids; the superstitious townspeople believed Gary, who joked that they were cursed, and refused to even let them come close. Eventually, even Leaf's mother started avoiding them, despite being best friends with their mother.

Miss Bienfaisant was the only one who supported the kids. However, he knew that the kind old lady simply didn't have the funds; some why, the government stopped paying pensions completely, meaning that the old lady could barely support herself. In the whole of Pallet, there was only one family that could take them. That was the Oak family. They would have gone there, had it not been for Gary. The boy just simply wouldn't let them live this down, that was for sure. But this was a question between his sister and his pride. It wasn't even a question! Ash tiredly shook his head; he was in for a long day.

* * *

Ash walked across the street. His heart sank when he saw the parents carefully shoo their kids away from him. But he would take it for his sister. He had to; there was no other choice.

"Well, well. What do we have here, a downtown rat or a cursed hobo? " Ash felt a lump rise in his throat as he saw a sneering Gary and his posse of children.

 _"Hey, guys, look! What, Ash, where are your mommy and daddy now, huh?" Gary laughed wickedly. He and a group of other boys surrounded Ash and beaten him up. With Gary's foot on his throat, Ash couldn't do anything but look at everyone with pure rage. Suddenly, he heard a sound._

 _"Let my brother go, you jerks!" Laelynn stood shakily, trembling as she spoke. She was afraid, she really was; but she couldn't just stand there, watching her brother get beat up._

 _Gary shared a look with the rest of his group and burst in laughter. Lifting his foot from Ash's throat, to which the boy responded by taking a huge gulp of air, the chestnut haired boy walked to the girl, amusement clear in his eyes._

 _"Or else what, huh?" Gary walked right up to the girl, grinning menacingly. Before doing what he never should have done; he slapped the girl, and then he shoved her down. As she started crying, he dusted his hands, muttering a satisfied "Crybaby", before leaving. However, that caused Ash to scream with pure rage and hatred. Some kind of red aura surrounded the boy, as he slowly stood up and looked at Gary. And the look promised nothing but a world of pain._

 _To be perfectly honest, Gary was slightly scared of the boy, no, monster that stood before him. But Gary just hid it like he always did; he hid it behind a wall of rudeness and bravado. "So, the rat stood up again. Boys?" As Gary snapped his fingers, the rest of the boys he brought with him snapped out of it and charged at the boy._

 _However, Ash merely held out his hands in a strangling motion, before sharply moving his arms to the side. Gary stood wide eyed as the boys were sent flying. What was this monster? When he looked into Ash's eyes, he saw nothing but rage and hatred. Gary gulped._

 _Ash woke up a few hours later with no recollection of what happened. Since that day on, every one avoided the boy like a plague. And both Leaf's mom and Professor Oak started avoiding him as well._

* * *

"Gary." Ash simply nodded curtly, before continuing to walk.

Gary didn't like being ignored. But he held back on punching the boy; what if the same thing happened again? Instead, Gary decided to hold back to words. "What, came crawling back after a few months?" Gary knew he hit a nerve when he saw Ash frown. That gave him the courage to continue.

"So, loser, where's your sister? Let me guess, she's crying back at the dump, is she?" That finally caused Ash to pause. But he simply looked at Gary. He didn't even try to mask the pain and exhaustion in his eyes. That's when Gary got in the details as well. The boy's clothes were ragged and half torn; his eyes had black circles underlining him, and his skin was yellow-ish. And, was it just his imagination, or did Ash lose a LOT of weight? Gary stood in shock, unable to comprehend what happened. How in the world could someone get to that condition?

Professor Oak was writing the annual report on the health of the Pokemon of the trainers he sponsored. The old man shook his head slightly; he wished that Leaf would be here. The girl asked to study under him, and so far, the results were splendid! The girl practically devoured the knowledge in books. Heck, she was able to fully comprehend high school material despite her age. He also found her an interesting conversation holder. However, the girl fell sick a few days ago, and she has yet to recover.

The old man raised his eyebrows when someone knocked at his door. A massive downpour started about ten minutes ago, so everyone would be inside. The Professor reluctantly went to the door; he wanted to finish his report. But, as he when he opened the door, he could only stare in shock. In front of him stood the Ketchum boy, the one who beat up 7 boys, including his grandson without provocation. He still remembered when he was informed that his grandson was in a critical situation. And here, he saw that very same MONSTER, standing at his door.

Ash opened his mouth, but before he could even utter a sound, the professor shakily shoved him off the porch, before grabbing a wrench and waving it threateningly.

"Out!" The Professor practically creamed, his face contorted in fear.

Ash barely stood up; he barely had any strength left, however thoughts of his sister filled him with strength. Turning at the professor, he held his hands in a universal 'surrender' sign, and opened his mouth to speak. However, the professor once again boomed.

"Out! Go away, demon!" The professor was visibly shaking as he flung the wrench at the boy. He merely signed in relief as the he saw the boy run away.

Meanwhile, Laelynn curled up in her and Ash's little 'home'. She shivered; she was cold, so cold… She wondered how her brother was. He was strong. He would come back.

Sensing something tickling her arm, she saw Cleffa. The little fairy hugged her, trying to keep her warm. Laelynn smiled; she was deeply touched by her friend's concern. Then she saw the fairy look at the clouds. With nothing to do, Laelynn proceeded to talk to her Pokemon.

"You know, Cleffa, my Mom used to tell me that raindrops are the tears shed when someone dies." Laelynn smiled softly, thinking of those days. "She said that Arceus willed to be so that the tears, filled with sadness would cleanse the Earth of everything bad." The Cleffa looked at the sky in a whole different way; the little fairy's own turned into a curious gaze, as the little creature stared at the clouds.

Suddenly, Laelynn laughed, her voice resounding like crystal, until she broke into another bout of coughing. The pink fairy looked at her human friend with worry. Laelynn continued nonetheless, smiling at the memories. "And my father would huff and say that rain was made of water 'particulars' (misspell on purpose), 'conceded' around dust, or something like that." Now, it was the Cleffa's turn to laugh. Laelynn shared a smile with her best friend; that was so silly, right?

The two spent the day talking to each other about different things, until Ash returned. Her brother was soaked to the bone. And, without anyone to cook, they all went to bed without dinner. Laelynn spent the night looking at her brother in worry, despite him constantly reassuring her that he was fine. However, as her brother turned to the side, she saw the back of his shirt torn, with a rather gruesome cut. She then found herself unable to sleep.

* * *

Arceus stood in the Hall Of Origin, watching the world through the dimensional mirror he'd made. Suddenly, he felt something tug at his mind, pulling him to the physical world. The urge was overwhelming; he hadn't felt this in eons, not since Sir Aaron stood in the castle, looking upon the two great armies about to clash. Resigning to his fate, Arceus closed his eyes and focused his powers, searching through the mind of the people who could potentially send him a distress signal of this strength.

* * *

Time passed on, as autumn faded in early winter. As the snow started falling, things went downhill for the Ketchum kids. Miss Bienfaisant died in a fire. And, what's worse, Ash and Laelynn were the only ones who came to the kind old lady's funeral, even though they hadn't been invited. It seemed like that the whole town had forgotten about the kind and trusting woman; after all, the whole town gathered and celebrated when Gary, Leaf and some kid named Ritchie got their starters early. And, as if things couldn't get any worse, the Miss Bienfaisant's death meant that some rich family was able to buy the land. The newcomers immediately kicked the siblings out of their little 'hut', chasing them away.

And with the cold weather front coming, Ash highly doubted they could survive the winter. Laelynn was growing weaker by the day. She could barely speak, let alone, move, forcing Ash give her his food. Pichu and Cleffa were also growing weaker; Ash knew they wouldn't make it through the cold season at this rate.

"Ash… Will everything be alright?" Ash felt his heart skip a bit as bit as he heard his sister rasp. He wanted to know that himself; he had kept reassuring himself that everything would be fine, but it wasn't! He looked into her round blue eyes. They reminded him of the ocean; pure, deep… Her eyes were filled with innocent naivety; but Ash also saw a specter of hope.

Ash looked away; he couldn't bear to see his sister in this state. He would give everything to help her, but his everything was never good enough. Then, determination filled him. He would go to the Oak family again. So, he answered her with a kiss to a forehead. "Yes, dear, everything will be alright."

* * *

Despite the fact that it was early winter, there was a blizzard nonetheless. Snow pelted Ash, as he strode through the rapidly piling up snow, doing his best to shield his precious little sister from the snow. He could feel her slipping away. "Hang on, Laelynn, hang on…" Ash's voice was filled with despair as he ran to the lab. He was cold, oh so cold… He could almost feel his parents calling him… No, Ash shook his head. He had to concentrate. So, our young hero continued to wade through the snow.

* * *

Leaf looked out of the window. Winter has always seemed enchanting to her. The snowflakes danced through the night sky, covering tree branches and the ground. She couldn't quite put her hand on it, but it all seemed… magical. The very word "magical" seemed foreign to her; Leaf considered herself a woman of science, one that would be able to find logical answers to all questions. And yet… Wait, who's there? "Professor, come here please."

Professor Oak was watching the annual Piplup hockey game. Watching the little penguins slide around the ice while moving the putty with Bubblebeams has always amused Oak. So, he grumpily stood up. "What is it?"

However, when he got to the window professor Oak gasped. There was a small figure lying on the snow, clutching a torn-up cloak. "Leaf, go and make some soup." Without waiting to see if she went to do it or not, Oak grabbed his coat and ran out, flinching as the strong wind hit his face.

Ash crawled forward, making sure that Laelynn was comfortable enough. Speaking of whom, his sister's breath grew shorter, and her temperature was abnormally high. He gritted his teeth in determination. Just a bit more… Pichu and Cleffa were weak as well; they were barely awake. Yes, he could see the lab. Just a little bit more…

Ash saw the door open, light flashing out from the door. Never before has he felt so much relief; he was here at last. Ecstatic about getting there, he shook Laelynn awake. "Come on, sis, wake up. We're here, wake up!" Laelynn just simply mumbled "10 more minutes" tiredly. Ash smiled nonetheless. His sister would be saved. Then, he saw the professor come out. He looked up, crawling further to the door.

Professor Oak stepped further out. The blizzard got stronger, to the point where it was hard to see. Wait, was it just him, or did the figure crawl all the way here? The professor looked down. He saw a tall boy in horribly ragged clothes; the boy's skin was deathly pale, which could probably be attributed to him being outside in the cold for so long. Wait, the boy also seemed to carry a small girl, a Pichu and a Cleffa!

"Come on," Oak started, but then he saw the boy's eyes. There was something in them, something that Oak couldn't quite put his fingers on. But, more importantly, Oak knew those eyes quite well. This boy was Ash Ketchum. Oak felt a small pang of guilt when saw the state in which the boy was; after all, his former students trusted him to make their children happy, not leave them on the streets to starve to death- Oak has just realized how skinny the siblings were. But then, memories of the MONSTER that sent his grandson and several other boys to the hospital came back, and Oak soon found himself torn apart.

 _They were his students' children!_

 _The boy was dangerous!_

 _But they were children nonetheless…_

 _But what about Leaf?_ At that, the professor's blood froze. His precious student has almost become a daughter to him, and seeing her get hurt was the last thing he wanted. So, Oak came up with the ultimate decision.

He slammed the door shut.

* * *

No… Ash felt as if someone has stabbed his chest; this was his last hope, hope that everything would be alright. And it was taken in but a single action. Life can be so cruel... Ash burst into tears. His sister would die! All because he couldn't find some shelter! Ash slammed his fist on the ground in frustration. It wasn't fair! How come someone like Gary had a home and a loving family, while poor Laelynn was dying out in the cold?

Ash closed his eyes. At least, they would meet their parents again.

* * *

"Leaf, tell me what's wrong?" Oak was being driven crazy. Half an hour ago, when he came back in, she met him with a stare. Since then, she'd been giving him a cold shoulder every time he approached her. Sure, she still helped him with the lab, but nothing was as it used to be.

This time however, Leaf did respond. She looked at her mentor with an accusing look. Leaf was usually a sweet and caring girl, so seeing her like this actually unnerved Oak more than he'd like to admit. That, and the knowledge that he'd left two children out in the cold didn't sit very well with him. They'd survive, right? Right, they had to.

Pichu woke up, finding himself staring at a huge building that looked like one of those 'windmills'. This is it! The lab Ash had talked about! Soon they would be out of the cold! So, the small mouse jumped excitedly, pointing at the building. However, in return, Ash just signed.

"The old man slammed the door in front of us. That's it. We won't make it through the winter." Pichu was shocked by his friend's look. The eyes were dull, so dull and lifeless that the mouse found himself asking, if this was the same boy that he befriended. Deciding that he'd had enough of it, Pichu decided to take matters into his own hands. The electric mouse jumped up, slapping his friend several times using his tail, all the while furiously repeating his name.

Ash was slightly perplexed at what the mouse tried to say. The Pichu now proceeded to wildly gesticulate, even as he was jumping up and down. Then something clicked itself, like the elements of a puzzle coming together.

"You're saying that it's not like me to give up?" At that, Pichu squealed in delight, rubbing his cheek against Ash's. There was his friend!

Ash merely smiled, patting the mouse on the head. Pichu was right. He couldn't give up hope yet; if not for his sake, then for Laelynn's. So, filled with newfound certainty, Ash raised himself, picked his sister up and headed to the abandoned lumbermill. As long as they were together, they would make it through winter. Probably.

 _Probably…_

* * *

 **Alright guys, the first chapter is up! Like usual, review, and tell me where I screwed up. But in all honesty, people, please review; I'm still a novice writer, so I need some pointers. Oh, and please check out my other story, The Knight Of Absurd. Of course, the choice is yours; it's fully up to you if you do it or not. But I would greatly appreciate if you guys visited my other story and told me, what do I need to improve about it. And, just a heads up; it's not yet another cheesy romance.**


	2. Chapter 2

A small pink feline floated around excitedly, chasing her tail. She could almost, almost reach it, when she felt Arceus summoning her. She squealed in excitement; Daddy called her home! She'd only been to the strange dimension a few times, but she LOVED flying around the columns there. It was always so much fun!

* * *

Ash shook his head tiredly. They managed to get to the abandoned lumbermill that was right next to the forest. Luckily, there were still a few broken chairs and a box of matches, so they were able to keep themselves warm. Well, mostly. Poor Laelynn was constantly shivering. He knew she was ill, and he couldn't do anything about it. She was slowly dying, and Ash could only watch bitterly. But, despite that, she never lost hope.

Right, Ash shook his head. He would try his hardest to make sure that his little sister would be as comfortable as possible. So, grabbing a basket that he'd 'borrowed' from Leaf's mom, he prepared to go out to the forest to gather whatever berries were left after the initial freeze shock, as he heard some people call it. Suddenly, he heard Laelynn sit up, coughing.

"Ash…" Laelynn rasped, before coughing again. Ash dropped the basket, before rushing to her side. Damn it! Her temperature has risen again. Grabbing a handkerchief, Ash soaked it in cold water and put it on his sister's forehead. He turned away, unable to look at her like that. Her cheeks turned rosy from her internal heat, though her hands were almost deathly pale. Her eyes however were still clear like usual; the look… Her eyes were still as deep as ever, and despite what she had to live through, they were still filled with a childish innocence.

"Ash…" Laelynn rasped lightly, before breaking into another coughing fit. Ash on the other hand, closed his eyes in pain.

"Hush now, you should rest." Ash ran his hands through his sister's hair. He frowned lightly. Back in those days, she would make sure that her hair was silky and glossy; he remembered all of those fights they had when he ruffled her hair. Now however, she barely had the energy to eat, let alone anything else. He missed those days.

"Ash… Please tell me the story…" Laelynn coughed badly. Ash was tempted to tuck her back in bed and goes look for the berries, but… Laelynn's eyes… They were almost begging him; despite the circumstances, he could still see her eagerness, the hope that she held…

"Oh, alright. But just one story, 'kay?" Ash smiled as his sister grinned. She no longer had the energy to nod, but her enthusiasm never left her.

* * *

"Mew." Arceus shook his head slightly. He was originally going to ask Ho-oh to look after the duo, but the great phoenix wished to remain hidden. So, he turned to the second strongest Legendary in Kanto, Mew. To be frank, he was starting to regret it a little bit, considering how she chased her tail around his collumns.

"Mew!" Arceus's booming voice resounded through the hall. At that, the playful feline stopped chasing her tail, opting to instead comically tilt her head and let out a soft mewling sound.

* * *

"Once upon a time, there was a Deerling. His name was Raza. He was a young fawn, looking forward to growing up. He wished to have antlers, just as big as his fathers'. He was a naïve little creature who loved to jump and play with his friends; they would often play and dance amidst a beautiful meadow."

Ash paused, seeing Laelynn look wide eyed. Miss Bienfaisant had given them a few books to read; a book, full of fairytales was one of them. Laelynn loved it when he read to her. She would listen to each and every one of them with same attentiveness and wonder. However, the story of Raza the Deerling was always her favourite. No matter how many times he read it to her, she would always rink the tale in, staring in a wide-eyed wonder. Smiling softly, Ash continued.

"But one bright and sunny autumn day, the herd's peaceful sunbathing was disturbed by a distress call. One of the herd members had gotten into trouble! So, the herd gathered its mightiest warriors. Raza's parents were one of them. And so, the party went out to search for their troubled herd-mate.

And so, time passed, as autumn turned to winter. Raza stood, the winter wind caressing his face. He stood atop a boulder, looking out into the distance. The herd had migrated, but he stayed, waiting for his parents that were thought to be dead. Raza was the only one who stayed, ever waiting for his parents. A curious young Bunnelby, Masada became his friend; the bunny would often sit long hours with Raza, talking about their parents.

Young Masada and Raza did many things together; they collected berries together, they ate together, they laughed together, they faced struggles together. The two Pokemon were almost brothers. But as days went by, Raza began losing faith that his parents still lived. So, when Masada decided to travel the world, there was little that kept him there. So, the two friends set out to travel the world."

Laelynn coughed violently. Ash settled her down, caressing her cheek. She was getting worse. There was only that much that he could do. At least she was drifting to sleep. Patting her on the head one last time, Ash stood up and prepared to leave.

"Ash?" Ash chuckled despite the situation. She was always so persistent! Then, he frowned. He knew she needed rest, but at this rate, she wouldn't fall asleep at all.

"Oh alright then."

* * *

Ritchie scratched his head for the 17th time, before tossing his pen down. "That's it. I give up; I need a break." The boy walked out, beckoning his Pikachu. "Sparky!"

Leaf giggle lightly as she saw Gary roll his eyes. A few weeks ago, to everyone's surprise, Gary volunteered to help at the lab. While she was suspicious for a while, she realized that the boy had changed at heart. He no longer bathed in attention; he stopped bullying and started volunteering at the Orphanage. Eventually, he and Ritchie joined her tutelage under Professor Oak.

Ah, Ritchie. Leaf giggled again, oblivious to Gary's stare that practically screamed 'really'? To say that the boy was energetic was an understatement. He also had a short temper to match. But, the boy was loyal and trustworthy; hurt those close to him, and you're as good as dead. But, that thought left her with a slightly uneasy feeling. She felt almost like there was something missing. But, thinking weird isn't going to solve her in-equations!

* * *

"… And, reunited with their respective parents, Raza and Masada lived happily ever after." Ash smiled softly. Though he didn't really like fairy tales, as they painted a rosy image of a cruel world, he would put up with them as long as Laelynn was happy.

"Did they really?" Ash cringed inwardly as his sister broke into another bout of coughing. She was getting worse. And it was right before Christmas too, her favourite holiday! He really needed to find her enough food.

"Yes, sis, they did. Sleep tight." He tucked her in with a kiss to the forehead. Ash signed. How was he supposed to find her food?

"Pichu!" The little mouse was peacefully dosing off by the windowsill, but upon hearing Ash's voice, Pichu groggily shook himself awake and jumped on Ash's shoulder. This has quickly become his favourite spot.

And with that, the two friends ran out, rushing to the forest. They needed to find some food, they really did.

* * *

That night, Oak was having nightmares. He fidgeted in his sleep, restlessly rolling around, face contorted in fear. Suddenly, a scream rang through the night. Oak sat up, hands on his foreheads; he signed in relief when he realized it was but a dream. He looked around, his sharp eyes shifting from one object to another. Everything was as it was; his window, through which he could see a bright full moon, was still open. There was his nightstand, with a book that he was reading before bed. There was his wardrobe and his desk. However, on his desk, he saw a something else.

Standing up, the old professor saw a small marble statuette that he bought in Kalos. The small piece of décor was broke, shattered at the center. He didn't know how that happened, but he couldn't help the foreboding chill that ran through his spine.

* * *

At the same time, Ash sat next to Laelynn's bed. Her fever was getting worse, and he didn't know what to do. A poke caught his attention. Pichu was looking at him with worry. Ash signed.

"I'm okay, bud. Just go back to sleep." The Pichu stubbornly shook his head, before jumping on his shoulder. Ash smiled; the little smile was always so persistent! He turned his gaze back to his precious little sister. She breathed heavily; yet, despite that, she looked almost at peace. Ash smiled softly, caressing her cheek with a finger; she never gave up hope, clinging on to it with all her strength. So should he!

However, cute little yawn caught him of guard. Ash turned to his left and saw the blushing Pichu cover his mouth. The raven haired boy smirked.

"Told ya. Now get some sleep." The Pichu groggily climbed down, before curling up. Seeing the little mouse's even breath, Ash knew that his friend's fallen asleep. What a silly mouse! Then, he turned his gaze to the other side of the room. His father said that Cleffa in general would often go out at night and sing to the moon. Cleffa, however, always sat near Laelynn, looking around like a guardian angel.

Ash closed his eyes. He remembered how his father would tell all sorts of interesting stories about his travels. He was a busy person, but he would always find time for him and Laelynn. _Well, at least you're safe in Heaven._

* * *

"Deck the halls with boughs of holly, FaLaLaLa…" Gary cringed inwardly at the horrible singing. That's it, this is the last straw! Grabbing a pencil, he threw it at Ritchie. The excitable boy shouted back indignantly, mirrored by his Pokemon, Sparky the Pikachu.

Leaf, meanwhile, just laughed, amusement clear in her eyes. Boys… So, with a slight shake of her head, she proceeded to hang decorations on their Christmas tree.

"Nido?" Leaf glanced down and saw her trusty Nidoran nuzzle her while holding a plastic candy cane. Leaf simply smiled, stroking the happy Pokemon.

* * *

Laelynn smiled softly, looking at Cleffa play with Pichu. Her mother always told her that life is a special gift that should be cherished. It was only given once, but the joys it brought along were precious. The feeling of triumph when you achieved something, the feeling of soaring through the clouds of love, the exhilarating happiness from seeing life prosper around you…

Laelynn giggled as Pichu childishly pouted, before breaking into another bout of coughing. That caused both of the little Pokemon to run to her side, worriedly calling their names. Laelynn winced in pain. She felt like her lungs were tearing themselves apart. But despite that, she still managed to give them a bright smile. Though that wasn't enough for the two little Pokemon; they immediately forced her to back lie back down. She didn't mind though; she was just curious where her brother was.

* * *

A small boy tiredly walked through the forest, hand clutching a small rusty axe. Ash knew that Christmas was coming up. As a matter of fact, you'd have to be incredibly dense and stupid to not notice; everyone went around singing carols, decorating their houses with bright festive lights… That was almost like putting salt on the wound for Ash. Their parents would often take the two Ketchum kids to different places on Christmas. Sometimes, they went to Fuschia, another time they went to Illex Forest… Ash missed his parents. But, remembering his father's famous "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened", Ash swallowed his tears and went. Right, the fir tree isn't going to find itself.

* * *

Arceus shook his head in exasperation. Mew was always so, so zany, so playful. The pink feline just couldn't hold her attention for longer than 3 minutes, but he had done it! So, Arceus shook his head to clear the thoughts before walking back to his mirror and continued watching the world with an ever watchful eye.

* * *

There! Ash smirked in triumph. This particular tree was small enough for him to drag back by himself, yet it was just the right shape and size! Laelynn would love this.

So, Ash brought the axe back, preparing to chop down the tree, when… Huh? Ash frowned. Why would there be a bush, full of little white flowers? Upon closer inspections, Ash realized that these were Gypsophila Paniculata, or, baby's breath for short. However, that just made the boy frown in puzzlement. These fragile flowers only grew in summer; what WERE they doing here? Ah, it didn't matter. Now, he just needed to get the tree, and then he'd be off.

So, taking a breath, Ash swung the axe at the tree, however nothing happened. He found himself unable to move his arm. Ash tried to focus all his strength, but to no avail. Suddenly, he heard a small giggle to his left. Turning his head, he spotted a small girl in a white dress. She wasn't particularly high; she was probably 4 feet tall. Her pink hair was tied in a braid. Ash raised his eyebrows; her hair looked a lot like a tail. However, her defining features were her eyes. Full of childish playfulness and playfulness, the girl seemed to almost radiate… energy?

"You know, you shouldn't cut trees." The little girl gently chided Ash, standing in the same manner that a parent scolding their child would. However, Ash just rolled his eyes.

"Who are you?" Ash eyed the girl with mistrust; she was probably just like those townsfolk. Why should he trust her?

"Oh, silly me. I must have forgotten to introduce myself! I'm Lilavati!" Ash took a step back. That enthusiasm, all the spare energy she had… It seemed, almost alien to Ash!

"Oh, but any ways, you shouldn't chop down trees! Many Pokemon live on them, you know?" A light of understanding flickered in Ash's eyes. Nodding slowly, he reluctantly put the axe down, feeling the force detaining him earlier fade away. Damn it! He was going to surprise Laelynn with a tree, but whatever. Ash's face lightened up considerably when his gaze fell upon the flowers. He knew how his little sister loved flowers. That ought to cheer her up!

The girl did not take kindly to Ash turning away from her. "Where are you going?" The little girl practically whined. Ash's blood froze slightly. Why was that particular tone so familiar? But, he shook the strange feeling away, opting to instead gently pick the flowers at the bud, making sure that he didn't accidently tear them by the roots.

Seeing the flowers, Lilivati let out on excited squeal of 'flowers', before running to them. To Ash's surprise (and relief), she didn't jump straight on the tender flowers. Instead, she picked a flower up, smelling it, taking in its scent… Ash's heart sank. This girl was acting like Laelynn, before she went down with a coughing fit. He used to find her behavior almost… annoying at times. However, now he found himself missing those days. So, having picked up a nice bouquet, Ash stood up and went back. He stole a glance back; he'd half-expected her to follow him, but the girl was too busy playing with flowers. So, letting out a sign of relief, Ash trotted back to their 'home'.

* * *

Making sure that they boy was out of sight, 'Lilivati' smiled. Well, snickered, covering her mouth with a hand. Such a strange kid…

* * *

"Come on Gary, lighten up!" Ritchie smirked. He knew that Gary hated carols, but he just couldn't help it. Gary's reactions were hilarious. Just like his brother. The thought brought back a pang of regret, but Ritchie shook his head, banishing the heavy thoughts.

Gary just rolled his eyes, oblivious to the other boy's thoughts. Leaf, on the other hand, simply giggled lightly.

* * *

Pichu was dozing off peacefully, having curled up in a little ball a while ago. However, as the sound of quiet steps and a familiar scent came to him, the little mouse's eyes snapped open. And, with a happy cry, he jumped right on Ash's shoulders.

Ash laughed lightly at the Pichu's antics. "Are you happy to see me?"

The Pichu simply replied by nuzzling up to Ash. Ash smiled again. Before frowning lightly.

"How's Laelynn?" Ash shook his head when he saw the Pichu's sad look. Well, it was Christmas Day, wasn't it?

So, taking a deep breath, Ash entered the room, making sure not to make much noise. His sister was awake, telling Cleffa about wishing stars between her coughs.

"… So, when a star shoots by, you close your eyes and make a wish!" Cleffa listened in wonder, before crying in worry when Laelynn violently coughed.

Ash immediately rushed to his little sister. "Lae, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, bro. I'm fine." Laelynn huffed lightly; she hated when Ash called her 'Lae'. But still, it was nice that he cared.

A moment of silence passed through the siblings. "Laelynn? Merry Christmas!" Ash now finally held out the small bouquet out to his little sister, oblivious to the fact that she had already spotted it. But Laelynn simply beamed back in response, before sitting up and hugging Ash. Slightly caught off guard, Ash nonetheless hugged her back, caressing her hair. "Merry Christmas."

* * *

Life is cruel and unfair

Settle down and grab a chair.

For the world is dishonest and corrupt

And the people do disrupt

The lives of their own kin.

But two orphans on the street

Are exposed life's deceits

But they still manage to retain,

Their hearts still pure and not detained

By evil's charms and sweet temptation

Of whispers, crimes and condemnation.

And lest the world sinks further down,

The Chosen heroes must not let down

The Almighty One's expectations.

The buds of hope, blooming in the desert;

The stars shine bright on even dirt.

For all are equal, all are precious

In our fair world, all are special.

* * *

 **Well guys, here is the second chapter. Thanks to every one who reviewed the story. You gave me a lot to work on, and that is definitely not sarcasm.**

 **If you guys didn't realize it, then I'm making heavy use of symbolism. Every moment is written with a purpose- well, at least it's supposed to be written for a purpose. Yes, I still suck at writing. But anyways, Raza is not just a reference to Bambi; the name means hope. And, in this bleak and depressing times, the little girl needs to cling onto something. And not just her brother and the Cleffa; thing is, the fairy tale is basically about how a young fawn seemingly lost his parents, found a friend, set out on an adventure and got a happy ending. And for the Ketchums, considering the fact that they are now homeless orphans, the story gives them hope, that, somehow, just somehow, things are going to be alright.**

 **And I'm pretty damn sure that NONE of you bothered to check the name, so here. Laelynn means 'flower of hope'. I think the 'hope' part is obvious. But why the 'flower' part? Well you'll just have to wait and see, if I chose it on purpose, or because the name sound nice.**

 **Bienfaisant literally means charitable. Or, at least according to Google Translate.**

 **And now, as for professor Oak's actions/inaction, then he has reasons. A damn good one too, but I can't spoil it, can I?**

 **And, yes, Ritchie gets the role of Ash as a goofy, intense, passionate, brave, altruistic guy. Oh, his family moved into the old Ketchum home too.**

 **So, like usual, review and tell me where I screwed up.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Anyways, I've never done it before, but there's a first for everything, right :P**

 **AN: Laelynn's appearance. (J-Wolf7)**

 **-No excuse here; I simply forgot about it. But, if I don't decide to change something on fly, then it should appear in the next chapter.**

 **'** : **Spoiler: Ash's and Laelynn's parents were murdered by AURA HUNTERS and they made it look like an car accident** **' (it was a guest review, so I don't know who it was)**

 **-No offence, but I literally laughed at that statement. My fanfic is cliched enough already; I don't want to turn it into Twilight the movies. But, more importantly, it was a ACCIDENT. Yes, accident; their life took a turn for the worse at a simple motion of Fate's part. Life can be funny sometimes. The fact that it was an accident- something that wasn't supposed to happen, actually reinforces the image of an unfair world I'm trying to paint.**

 **Tomb Of Fireflies (Cutesaralisa)**

 **\- err... I didn't notice that until you pointed it out, silly me.**

* * *

"Pichu?" Pichu worriedly squeaked. Ash simply sat with a haunting look on his face. That scared Pichu. The dull, almost lifeless eyes drained of hope…

"We're almost out of food, Pichu. What are we going to do?" Ash quietly wailed. They were in early January. After the latest set of blizzards, Ash had no doubt that there were no berries left. And the food they'd received from Miss Bienfaisant has dwindled to the point where they only had but two weeks' worth of food. The raven haired boy shook his head upon looking at his sister, blissfully sleeping in the only clearing that hasn't completely fallen apart. She didn't deserve it!

Ash was pulled out of his thoughts by Pichu, who started pointing in the general direction of Pallet Town. A small rumble began to appear in Ash's throat as his gaze hardened. "We can't trust them."

Pichu was about to turn to Ash with a questioning look, but he remembered how everyone who walked by would ignore them, despite clearly knowing they were there. Then, he remembered the episode with the old man Ash called 'Oak'. Pichu shivered; surely not everyone was bad, right?

* * *

Ash tiredly walked into Laelynn's 'room'. He barely had any sleep these last few months. His exhaustion was starting to catch up to him. Not even thoughts of his sister were enough to instantly disperse the tiredness. Turning a tired look to Cleffa, he let the little fairy know that he would take over.

Acknowledging that with a tired nod, Cleffa still sat on her shelf, keeping a watching eye over the sleeping girl. Cleffa signed. The girl used to tell her stories about different things. Now, Laelynn had barely enough strength to eat. The girl's breath occasionally got a lot rasher, as her body temperature rose drastically, before returning back to normal. According to the black haired boy, that was really bad news. Suddenly, a movement caught her eye. She saw the boy rapidly blink himself awake, after dozing off for a few minutes. The boy sure loved his sister.

Then, to her surprise, she saw him take out a flute. The boy found the strange stick during one of his ventures into the town. She smiled, remembering the boy rant about how someone 'threw a perfectly good instrument'. Then, a calm soothing melody poured out of the flute. She didn't know why, but the boy has always been able to make wonderful sounds with the piece of wood. Cleffa smiled when she saw that Laelynn's face relaxed a little in her sleep.

* * *

"Mew, what is the meaning of this?" Arceus stood in the Hall Of Origin, scolding the little feline. He couldn't believe that she was so careless and let the humans get some of her hair, or, in this case, DNA sample! What was even more surprising, was that the Mew didn't play around; she just floated in one place, her huge eyes slightly tearing up. Arceus shook his head. He should have known that Mew would try those eyes on him again.

"Mew, I'm not going to punish you." At that, the little pink cat flew a few circles around Arceus in obvious glee. However, Arceus's next words caused her tail to droop.

"At least, not harshly."

* * *

That night, Oak found that he couldn't sleep. Something just seemed… wrong. Professor Oak shook his head; if he couldn't sleep, then he might as well get to work. So, the world renowned professor got up and booted his computer on. To his surprise, when the computer turned on, he saw one word before the laptop blew up. Sparks flew around, making the professor fall back.

"Grandpa, what happened?" His niece sleepily entered the room, rubbing her eyes and yawning. Oak shakily stood up, using one of the pillars of his bedframe as support.

"Nothing dear, nothing." With that, Daisy went back to her room another yawn.

Oak, meanwhile, collapsed to his knees. For the word that appeared on his screen was ' _caveo_ '.

* * *

Cleffa yawned. She was tired. But one glance at Laelynn, and, more importantly, Ash, filled her with resolve. For the entirety of the time she knew the two, she has always seen the boy look after his sister. He would spend entire nights awake, making sure that she was comfortable, as well as putting a wet piece of cloth every time on the girl's forehead every few hours.

She saw him secretly give Laelynn some of his food; she had seen the boy comfort the girl, even when she was asleep. And it almost tore her apart, knowing the girl didn't have much time left. But for now, it didn't matter. So, Cleffa continued her ever vigilant watch over the two siblings.

* * *

Next morning, Ash woke up with a slight ache in his neck. Wait, in the neck? Damn it, it must have meant that he'd fallen asleep. His body screamed for a few more hours of sleep, but one look at his sister gave him the strength to shake himself awake. Right, breakfast.

So, tiredly stumbling to their crate, Ash started doing calculations. His stomach growled, but the raven haired boy decided to ignore it. Grabbing the mostly empty bag of porridge grains, he dumped a bit into a pot. Ash cringed inwardly; the pot was starting to get slightly rusty. But that wouldn't deter the boy so easily; grabbing some snow from outside, he tossed it straight into the cooking pot. His stomach growled again, but Ash ignored it, just like every other time. This was a small breakfast for Laelynn; according to Ash's calculations, if he didn't eat, then the food should be enough to last his sister another week.

"Pichu!" Ash smiled softly as his little friend jumped on his shoulder. The little mouse always seemed so full of energy!

"Pichu?" Pichu cocked his head to the side slightly. He was going to feed his sister with THAT?

Ash signed. "It's not like we have much of a choice, you know?" Ash looked outside. The snow covered much of the ground; the white fluff that fell on tree branches made a strong contrast to the trees themselves. It was a sight to behold. Noticing Ash's look, Pichu ran outside, sniffing at the ground.

The boy shook his head off the more 'useless' thoughts. He started thinking about to get out of their predicaments. He definitely wouldn't find any berries or mushrooms, now that's for sure. Wait, but then, what about that patch of flowers? The boy shook his head; that must have been a fluke of some sort, right? So, he turned to the other options; to steal, or to beg.

Begging was out of question, considering the townspeople, Ash thought with a growl in his throat; but stealing… He knew it was horrible, but, was there any other way? His parents always said that taking what belonged to others was just… plain wrong! They worked hard to gain that, after all. But, having seen the true colors of the townspeople of Pallet, he wouldn't be surprised if they just stole to get where they are now. But still, he somehow couldn't agree with himself on that plan. Almost as if some kind of mysterious force prevented him from doing it.

 _But think about Laelynn!_ His brain furiously argued with that… force. _Her sickness has gotten far too bad for things to continue as they are. She needed some clothes for warmth, she needed food to make it through the season, she needed medicine cure the illness!_

 _But, you think you will be able to live with yourself after that?_ The 'Force' raised a good point. His parents have pretty much drilled those morals into his head. But, one look at his sister peacefully sleeping gave him the answer. As long as she lived, it would all be worth it.

Then what will she think of you? Ash paused. What would she think of him? He is an older brother, it's his job to protect her, and, now that his parents were gone, to teach her about the world, to teach her about life. Would she listen to him, if she knew that he would become a criminal? But one look at her fidgeting slightly in her sleep steeled him. After all, she wouldn't even be alive if things continued as they are!

 _And finally, what would your parents think of you?_ Indeed, what would his parents think of him? They worked so hard to instill proper principles into him. He felt like he was letting them down by even entertaining such thoughts. But surely they would understand? "No reasons will ever justify spitting on people's faces after their hard work," Ash could still hear his father's famous phrase ring in his head. But what else could he do? His little sister was the only one he had left; he couldn't bear to see her like that! But still…

Ash screamed inwardly, clutching his head. Why did things have to be so hard? At least it would be spring soon. But would it bring him the much needed food?

* * *

"Crescent, please take care of him…" A hoarse whisper, a plea of a mother… All of that hit Crescent like a tidal wave. Damn it! Why does she have to leave? Gathering her hands, she gathered her powers, calling upon the stars to save the innocent souls lost that bloody night…

But it was all for naught, because the stars were silent. Crescent felt a tear roll down her cheek. She wasn't ready for this! What did she- or her brother do to deserve this?! But her mother's stare burned deep in her soul. Crescent turned back at her, looking at her beautiful face for the very last time…

"Yes…"

Cleffa shot awake. She blinked; it was the middle of the night. She could still see the moon shine down on them, like a beacon of hope. But the quietness of the night coupled with her dream sent shivers across her spine. The dream seemed almost too real. Perhaps it was a vision? But why?

Why did she receive the vision of a girl watching her mother die? And why… did those voices sound so familiar? A shifting sound caught her attention. Looking down, she saw the raven haired boy tend to his sister, putting a wet handkerchief on her forehead. No matter how many times she saw that, she would always feel touched beyond tears by the lengths the boy was ready to go for his sibling.

"I'm hungry!" Gary screamed inwardly. Part of him told himself to stay put, while the other half wanted to strangle the whining Ritchie. The boy could be a great friend when you needed him; otherwise, he tended to be a pain.

"What do you want?" Leaf growled irritably. She woke up with a head splitting headache; she didn't need this!

"Brother…" It was bad; real bad. In fact, it was really bad. Her temperature has risen dramatically and her coughing has only gotten worse. Ash didn't know what to do! She needed medicine and proper food, but there was no way he could get them for her without stealing! But still…

"You should rest, sis." Ash felt a small tear roll down his cheek, before rapidly blinking it away. He had to be strong for her, after all.

"Please," Laelynn coughed violently, before continuing. "Sing me the song."

"Lae, you should rest." Ash shook his head sternly. But they both knew he couldn't resist her pleading eyes.

"Pretty please?" Laelynn tried to make the 'pleading puppy face', but she broke into another coughing fit.

Despite his worries about her health, he couldn't help but laugh. Now that was his sister!

"Alright, alright." Seeing her smile in triumph, he simply rolled his eyes.

Seeing her brother take a deep breath, Laelynn giggled lightly while snuggling up to her pillow.

"When daytime turns to night, when the moon shines bright,

When you're tucked in tight, when everything's alright.

Slip softly to that place, where secret thoughts run free,

Then come face to face with who you want to be.

So swim across the ocean blue, fly a rocket to the moon;

You can change your life, or you can change the world.

Take a chance, don't be afraid, life is yours to live;

Take a chance, and then the best has yet to come…"

Cleffa watched the two with a smile. She always found their interaction heartwarming. But still, she help but feel some kind of déjà vu at the lullaby. It almost seemed… Cleffa gasped as images flooded back into her head.

"…Make a wish, it's up to you.

Find the strength inside, then watch your dreams come true.

You don't need a shooting star, the magic's right there in your heart;

Close your eyes, believe, and make a wish..."

A soft, melodious voice flowed around the clearing, intertwining with the pillars of light radiating off the stars. A teenage girl, no more than 14, sat, cuddling her baby brother to sleep. Her hair long silky hair covered her face as she gazed lovingly upon her slumbering brother. Quickly pecking him on his forehead, the girl stood up, exposing her many scars. Taking a deep breath, she kneeled down to the moon, whispering a quick prayer.

"… Close your eyes… And make a wish…" Cleffa blinked as she was pulled back to reality. Just who was that girl? And better yet, why did she sing the same lullaby as Ash?

However, a soft snore caught her attention. It was quiet, but her ears were quite sensitive. Cleffa could barely stifle a giggle despite herself. The girl always insisted that she didn't snore. However, a torrent of nostalgia washed upon her. Why did this seem so familiar? And why did she have these visions?

* * *

As the weather warmed up, snow started slowly melting. Ash grimaced; even though finally being warm was a good thing, it also meant a few things. Firstly, their main source of water, snow, would disappear; secondly, that would mean that the many hibernating Pokemon would out and about. Ash really didn't want Rattata to steal whatever food they had left. Why did things have to be so difficult? Why can't everything just be black and white? Check that; just white. Why does evil have to exist anyways?

* * *

"So, you kids are sure you want to go camping?" Professor Oak shook his head in exasperation. He knew how excited they were. However, he also knew that this rain wasn't natural. It rained intensely. However, its intensity was not an oddity; the fact that it rained on Pallet Town ONLY- not even on route 1, but exclusively on Pallet Town- was enough to make him think. However, his student, Ritchie made an interesting discovery.

When the boy drank some water, he reported that he saw the worst moments in his life unfurl before his very eyes. Of course, no one was able to confirm it as everyone was too afraid to try doing so; who would, after seeing the wreck the boy had been after drinking the water?

"Yes, professor, you've asked us 10 times already!" Leaf rolled her eyes in exasperation. None of them understood why the professor made such a fuss about a simple camping trip- right outside Pallet at that.

"Take care!" All three of them rolled their eyes when he waved at them. She was surprised he didn't wave is handkerchief as well.

* * *

"We're lost, aren't we?" Gary was just about ready to explode. Ritchie couldn't navigate to save his life! Why did they trust him with the compass anyways?

"Well Gary, look on the bright side; at least we know who to blame for it this time!" Ritchie rolled his eyes in annoyance when his two friends laughed at him. Though she did have a point; at least they knew who to blame this time. Last time, it was a pain for him to prevent Leaf and Gary from fighting. He still gingerly touched his cheek when he remembered it.

"No we're not! We're just… misplaced! Yeah, misplaced!" Ritchie laughed sheepishly, before stopping when he noticed two incredulous eyes staring at him.

"What?"

"Stop ripping off other people's lines Ritchie!" Leaf and Gary shared a look before bursting in laughter when they realized they'd both said the same thing at the SAME time. Eh, that explained the proverb "great minds think alike".

"Anyways," Leaf calmed herself down and turned back at him. With a mallet(?) "Just admit that you've gotten us lost so we can beat you up and move on."

This time, both boys looked at her with looks of pure terror. Ritchie looked at Gary for some help, but all he received was a helpless shrug that said 'you're on your own'.

A pained shout rang through the forest, scaring the Pidgey into flying off.

* * *

"Come with us, Laelynn… No more pain, no more hunger, no more suffering…" Laelynn didn't understand what was going on. Last she remembered, Ash tucked her in bed while Cleffa sat on her shelf. Now, she was standing on a cloud. Curious, she bent down. It was so fluffy! Laelynn giggled; it was fun!

"Come with us, Laelynn… No more pain, no more hunger, no more suffering…" The little girl looked around, confused. What was that sound?

"Come Laelynn… Come…" A quiet, yet empowering voice rang. Laelynn didn't know what to do. On one hand, her parents told her not to talk to strangers. While Ash told her not to talk to people at all; Laelynn couldn't help but giggle at the memory; sometimes, just sometimes, he could be so silly! But on the other hand, she was curious about what that voice was. Finally, she came with a conclusion. She stood still, trying to shut off the voice.

A few minutes later, she heard the voice say something else. "Vivere…"

Standing up, Laelynn shouted in glee; no more scary voice! However, out of a corner of her eye, she saw a leaf fall down. The leaf twirled as it danced across the evening sky. Intrigued, Laelynn reached out her hand, gently taking the leaf. One of its sides was golden; it had the image of a sword embedded on it. The other side was black; it had a silver contour of a sun rise.

Then, a thunder struck as a downpour began. The rain felt cold, drained of all warmth. Then, the scenery changed from the cloudy paradise to a dark forest. Laelynn felt like something was watching her. Suddenly, a low growl rang from her left.

Screaming in dear, Laelynn turned and ran. She didn't know where to run, and, frankly, she didn't care! Ash would help, she knew he would… Suddenly, she felt a throbbing pain her leg as she fell. The growl got louder as whatever had made the sound got closer to her. Laelynn tried to scramble up, but to no avail. Her ankle was twisted, and her heart was pounding so furiously that she felt like it would jump out of her chest.

Suddenly, an earsplitting scream pulled her back to reality, with a disorienting pull and a coughing fit.

"Lae, are you okay?" Ash hurriedly ran to his sister's side. She was getting worse; that was definite. His sister was sniffling, trying to hold back her tears.

"You know you shouldn't shout." Laelynn looked up slowly and saw Ash gently reprimanding her.

"Now you just go back and rest, 'kay?" Laelynn simply shook her head, too shaken to fall asleep. Ash frowned, thinking of a solution. Wait, he got it! So, taking a deep breath, Ash started playing the lullaby on his flute. She loved the song. Ash found it ironic that the lullaby was called "Make a wish", and they were in this horrible situation. Sure enough, Laelynn stopped sobbing, and, snuggling up to her pillow, slowly slipped "to that place, where secret thoughts run free." Ash smiled, gazing lovingly at her; she was his precious little sister, after all. So, wiping a tear off her face, he kissed her goodnight/day, and went back to doing his job.

Already, the cogs were turning in his brain, conceiving a plan to find the solution to the problem. If he could count the cosinus of angle ABC, then…

* * *

Cleffa woke up with a soft yawn to the soft tunes of a melody. Realizing that she'd dozed off, Cleffa slapped herself. Not that it hurt anyways, since she barely had any strength left. Wait, the same lullaby?

And, before she realized it, she slipped back into her mind. In front of her, she saw the same teen from her previous visions. She could barely recognize the girl; her hair, normally tied in a neat braid, was being blown back by the wind. Her left arm was bleeding, forcing a wince of pain into her otherwise bloodcurdling scowl. And more importantly, she was panting heavily as she readied her katana, already covered by the blood of a hundred enemies, and charged with a fearsome battle cry.

With a fluid motion, the Crescent commenced her flawless battle dance, driving back many a foe. Crescent knew she was outnumbered; yet, despite that, she desperately fought on, pushing back wave after wave of enemy soldiers. However, eventually, she was overwhelmed by sheer numbers. She collapsed, driven to the floor with her hands tied, blood trickling out of her mouth, as she was forced to watch helplessly as the thugs harshly dragged her baby brother out of his makeshift crib, before the enemy Captain raised his blade over the child's head. Cleffa, not being able to take it anymore, let out a horrified shriek.

"Pichu?" Cleffa jumped when she felt someone touch her. Heaving a sign of relief, she turned to her friend.

* * *

Outside, the sky darkened as clouds gathered. A thunder struck, hitting a tree and causing it to burn; fortunately, the fire was put out shortly by the downpour that followed.

"Any more bright ideas, Leaf?" Gary and Ritchie sarcastically turned to their female friend. All Leaf could do was give a sheepish smile. Wait; there was a dark bulking frame up ahead!

"Hey, there's some building over there!" Leaf excitedly shouted, happy to get out of the rain. Left with no other choice, Gary and Ritchie shared a look that practically screamed 'girls', as they ran after her.

"But," Ritchie huffed slightly, catching up to Leaf. "What if it's haunted?"

Gary simply rolled his eyes. "There are no haunted houses!" And thus, yet another heated argument started between the two rivals.

Leaf simply rolled her eyes. _Boys_ …

* * *

Ash rolled his eyes. It was raining yet again! Of course, their weather patterns were practically at whims of three birds, but this was ridiculous! Well, at least there would be mushrooms, right?

"Pi!" Ash turned to see his trusty friend, Pichu jump on his left shoulder, all while nibbling on a dried up Oran Berry. He smiled when he saw the little mouse point to his maths papers with a puzzled frown.

"We've discussed it before; it's good for…" Ash was interrupted by a duo of loud voices arguing, with a third one occasionally telling them to shut the heck up. Ash narrowed his eyes. Gary… While they probably just went here to get shelter from the rain, he wouldn't trust Gary and his posse further than he could throw them. And, with the lack of food and sleep he couldn't throw them at all, which probably shows the extent of his trust to them.

"Let's go, Pichu." When he was met with a quizzical squeal from Pichu, he rolled his eyes.

"I don't trust them here; not with Laelynn close by. We're getting them out of here!" At that, Pichu perked up. He hadn't had a battle in ages!

"But check up on Laelynn first, okay?"

* * *

Professor Oak dug through his papers, before finding the folder he was looking for; The Red Case. About 5 years ago, he sent one of his assistants, a genius teen named Red, on a journey to find the few Kanto Pokemon that weren't at the lab already for research. Of course, Oak was happy for his student when he'd not only completed his assignment, but also completed the league challenge in less than 7 months, before challenging the Elite 4 and the Champion, Lance. He knew the boy was a genius on the battlefield, but his surprise and happiness couldn't be described when he heard that Red won, taking out all of his opponents with a Pikachu and an Espeon. Lance had his entire tem taken out by a Snorlax and a Charizard.

Oak was, of course, slightly surprised when the boy turned down the title. Then again, it was Red after all… After that, the boy left for Johto, never to be heard again… Until one day, a huge explosion occurred in Goldenrod. The victims of the attack were all Team Rocket grunts, members of a crime syndicate, working in Kanto and Johto. The criminals were all tied up and escorted to prison; however, they were too shaken up to tell what happened, afraid that even mentioning the monster would summon him to them.

What they were able to gather, was a man in a black cape with red eyes; his team apparently consisted of a Snorlax, a Lapras, a Tauros and a Gengar. However, with those Pokemon were apparently brought for raw numbers. The real ace was a Charizard. A shiny one at that; just like Red's starter. However, there was one piece of information they ignored, labeling it as words of a crazy man. One grunt reported that the monster that appeared in their base masked himself as a new recruit, before attacking them. He had a red glow around him; any grunt that went against him would be sent flying with a simple motion on his part .Nothing could reach him; neither bullets, nor Pokemon attacks; not even Hyper Beams.

Oak felt an involuntary shiver run across his spine. According to the witnesses, the same red glow enveloped Ash as he brutally beat up 7 boys in his frenzy. This was problematic; if not taken care of quickly, the boy could become a major threat. Luckily, the boy had all but disappeared from the town. And just for one moment, no matter how morally wrong it was, he dared hope that they had died. But then he shook his head. The boy always had a knack for getting out of troubles. Oak felt a pang of guilt; they'd been his students' children; he loved them (or, at least, Laelynn) like his own grandchildren. But, the fate of Pallet Town was more important than a fate of two children.

* * *

"Ok, now let's get into the building and continue the argument there!" Ritchie rolled his eyes as he saw Gary throw up his arms with a huff. The boy was so childish…

"So, the Great Gary Oak being challenged by one of his subordinates. The world must be ending." Turning up, Ritchie saw a tall yet skinny boy stand. The boy had jet black hair, which stuck out in a mess. He wore a torn up piece of cloth that resembled a jacket; Ritchie could also see a pair of worn out jeans. Who did he think he was, talking to them like that!

"You have a problem, huh?" Ritchie twirled his Pokeball, contemplating sending Sparky out to zap the guy. He smirked when he saw something akin to fear flicker across the boy's eyes. And yet, he just shook it off, turning to Leaf.

"So, finally crumbled under his advances? Didn't know you were such a…" Ritchie saw the boy practically spit out the words, venom filling his voice. But, he made one mistake. You don't insult Ritchie's friends and get away with it.

"Stop it right there. You think you're so cool and smart saying all that, huh? You think it's such a fun game to play, huh?" Ritchie's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits as he glared at the other boy who simply glared daggers back at him.

Their staring contest continued for a few minutes before Ritchie saw a Pichu jump on the boy's shoulder and wave at him, repeating its name over and over again. Ritchie smirked when he spotted a worried look on the other boy's face for a moment.

"Apologize at once!" Ritchie was not so eager to drop on the topic. However, he didn't expect the next response.

"Make me. But as for now, LEAVE!" Ritchie was taken aback at the boy's growl, but that didn't deter him. This time, he really took it too far. Ritchie opened his mouth to give a rebuttal, however Gary beat him to it.

"Now, now, Ash, we can just talk this through…" Ritchie almost felt his blood boil when the other boy simply glared back.

"Oh my, the great Gary Oak talking about negotiations! The world has truly ended!"

"Now, I'm sorry for-" Ritchie blinked; this was the first time he had seen Gary so nervous. But the other boy- Ash, right, Ash, nearly drove him past his anger point.

"Stop apologizing! I know you don't mean it! After all these years, you think you can lie to me?" Ash was practically steaming with anger. That hit Ritchie's nerve; Gary's hurt look just reinforced it. However, there was one thing in Gary's look that stopped him from beating the raven haired boy to pieces; a look of guilt.

However, to his surprise, Leaf ran to the boy, hugging him, face red from crying.

"Where have you been all this time? We were so worried when-" However, Ash's next action broke whatever self-control Ritchie had left. The boy hissed something to her. Even though he couldn't make out the words, the venom was clear in his voice. Then, he pushed Leaf back. Okay, that did it.

"Who do you think you are anyways? What are you, a prince or something? Well, pal, let me break it to you; you are nothing but a spoiled brat! Now go back to your stupid Mamma and feel bad about yourself." Ritchie saw a pained look on Ash's face; however, he started questioning ever seeing it on the brat's face, because now, his face was absolutely furious.

"What did you say?" Ritchie stepped back slightly; not even his mother was so scary when she was enraged. But, remembering that he had a lesson to teach the jerk, Ritchie stepped back, glaring at Ash.

* * * _change point of v_ _iew_

Ok, that's it. Breathe, Ash, breath. One, two, three. No need to get worked up over these people; save the energy for your sister. No, the technique didn't help. This's just become personal; the idiot insulted his parents. Oh how he would enjoy wiping the smirk off the…

Sensing Pichu tug his ear in an attempt to get his attention, he turned to the mouse. "What?"

The little mouse just simply pointed to Leaf, before gesticulating wildly and pointing at Laelynn's room. Suddenly, it dawned on Ash.

"They turned their backs on us; why shouldn't we do the same to them?" Ash saw the Pichu get an annoyed expression on his face…,before slapping him with a weakened Iron Tail. Ash was mildly annoyed, but he was willing to listen. Ash frowned.

"You're saying that we shouldn't sink to their level?" Upon hearing that, Ash frowned. On one hand, he knew that Pichu was right; on the other, we really wanted to get revenge on the two of them, especially Leaf. He considered her his friend, and then she turned her back on them…

 _Look at you, all grown up! We're glad you're taking care of Laelynn; she needs your support… Oh how far have you gone!_ Ash paused. No, it couldn't be! Ash looked around daring to hope that he was wrong, that his parents would come back, and everything would return back to normal…

No Ash, we really did die. But despite that, we're always with you. What, did you think you'd get rid of us so easily? Ash smiled; it was always like his father, joking at the MOST inappropriate moments. He missed it though. But, as tearful as the reunion might be, he still had a problem to take care of.

"Let me guess, you're here to tell me to let them in? Are you sure-" Ash could almost see his father's hand in front of his face, causing him to pause. I'm not here to tell you what to do. _My time on Earth has passed; it is now your time to make the decisions. Just remember that we'll always be proud of you no matter what!_

Ash paused. His father just said that he'd support him no matter what decision he took. So that meant that he could easily choose to not let them in. But then again, that would be equivalent to spitting on all of the work his father had put into making him a better person.

He was so going to regret this decision…

"Fine, come in." Ash grumbled, turning around. He smirked lightly; they had probably fainted at his sudden change in attitude. A few seconds passed, but they weren't coming.

"What, did your feet root to the ground or something? Come in before I change my mind." While he saw the other boy snort, he chose to let it slide. However, seeing the auburn haired boy raise an eyebrow, Ash decided to fake an answer.

"Your friend is shivering over there. So are you coming or not?" Ash heavily accentuated the word 'your'. He didn't miss the look of hurt across Leaf's face. He couldn't say he enjoyed the sight, contrary to what he thought, but whatever.

A few seconds of staring, the trio begrudgingly marched up the small hill, entering the old lumber mill.

* * *

 **Anyways, here's the next chapter. Thanks to everyone who reviewed/followed; I really appreciate it. And I also suck at speeches, so let's go straight to the point. Please review and tell me, where I screwed up. Oh, and please check out my other fanfic and tell me what you think about it. The choice is, of course, yours, but I would really appreciate it. Oh, and if anyone can guess the mini-arc I have in mind for Cleffa and Crescent, than please have a big virtual cookie :P**


	4. Chapter 4

**No, I'm not canceling the story if that's what you think. But you see, I realized that I just couldn't stand text-walls. Even in Traveler, one of, if not THE best fanfics out there, I eventually found myself skimming through parts that weren't relevant through the plot. And, from what I understand, I'm not the only one who tends to do so; with EVERY that has a, as I think, overload of information that's not too plot-relevant, people almost NEVER pay attention to the small details that we, writers, slip in. Per say, in War and Peace (I'm forced to study it by my literature teacher), in the first battle scene, Nickolas Rostov, if I recall correctly, was knocked off his horse. Tolstoy, as a writer, wanted to portray the war as something... unnatural, needlessly destructive... And, with the simple detail of the grounded cavalryman THROWING his pistol at an enemy; throwing, not shooting or anything- shows how war is almost... futile, senseless, fruitless... So basically, what I mean is, even though I'm still rather bad at writing, that doesn't change the simple fact that many people don't read too carefully- thus, missing important events. So, I realized that wall texts were not a good thing on FFN.**

 **And thus, with all of that in mind, I started writing my first fanfic. But, eventually, I realized that I was out of practice with... artistic literature, if you will- by that, I mean stories, novels, drama... (not journals, science reports, etc.) So, I began writing in a more goofy style to hide it, while at the same time, rereading many literary classics in hopes of improving my writing skills. Well, not really, but nevertheless. Then, after writing the Absol scene from The Misadventures Of A Master, I realized that even with a goofy comedy I couldn't avoid writing deep moments, displaying a character's emotional state and so on and so forth. Thus, I tried all those side-stories, experimenting a little bit.**

 **Eventually, I naively thought that I was ready to try a serious project. And thus, The White Rose. I just turned on love songs from 90-s and Yiruma music, then I just sat and began to write the story, thinking that, if I worry less about the theory, and that if I just go with the flow, the quality would improve. Well, now that I reread the earlier chapters, I realized how... unnatural and monotonous my sentences were, and how one sided the characters were... I went into a new character arch (Cleffa and Crescent) way, WAY too early among other things...**

 **So, in shorter words, I realized that The White Rose's quality is rather lacking, thus leading me to my conclusion. I need to rewrite the story. And furthermore, I realized that posting the chapters 'fresh-from-the-oven' wasn't a very good idea with my... pathetic skills. Thus, the AT LEAST once a month thing. I think that the rewrites will still be published in July, but still. So, sorry for the delay if you like the story, and, yeah, see you guys when I rewrite the damn thing!**


	5. rewrite's up!

rewrite's up


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